A Moment Like This
by AssortedScribbler
Summary: Have you ever had a moment when blinding realisation fills you and you have to pause? Minerva McGonagall hadn’t. Until tonight. MMAD.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, though I certainly wouldn't mind them, I just own the idea.

**A/N:** The line "We are all fools in love." Is from something, but I don't know where I've heard it, if you could let me know that would be great. It's not the best I've ever done, I know that, and I know it's another song fic, and yes, I should get back to my others, but I need all the opinions I can get. I'm suffering with writer's block with some of my chapter fics at the moment. Please Review! Hope you like it! Oh and I stole the line "flying past stars on silver wings" from Roald Dahl's Matilda, when he describes how it felt for Matilda to perform magic for the first time. I thought it was appropriate. And after all, writers are often called magpies.

**Summary: **Have you ever had a moment when blinding realisation fills you and you have to pause? Minerva McGonagall hadn't. Until tonight.

A Moment Like This 

**A MMADness Moment**

_What if I told you it was all meant to be?  
Would you believe me, would you agree?  
It's almost that feeling that we've met before so tell me _

_That you don't think I'm crazy when I tell your love is here and now._

Minerva McGonagall did not believe in coincidence. She didn't believe in Santa Claus. She didn't believe in Destiny or Fate. She hadn't believed in love, as much as Albus had tried to persuade her otherwise. Now, the very emotion she had not believed in, refused to acknowledge, was washing around her and flowing in her own veins. And it was all _his fault!_ He had… well, she didn't know what he had done, but she did know she had not felt this way in her entire life and it didn't help that his gaze was resting on her with an uncomfortable intensity she had not see before.

She was poised, standing in the middle of the Great Hall, her hand in his, her eyes resting on his, her waist held by his hand, her soul shining in her eyes for him to see. There was no doubt as to what she was feeling, not any more. She had read too many classics to not know, and had more sense than that anyway. There wasn't time to separate herself from it, to analyse it, to rid herself of it, because it was filling her and shining around her. All she knew for sure was she wanted him to repeat his earlier action. She wanted him to kiss her again, regardless of the number of eyes resting on them. She wanted to feel that rush of joy again, to feel his lips move across hers. They suddenly seemed a thousand times more sensitive when he touched them.

There was light everywhere, from his eyes, from the ceiling above them, from the candles floating around them. She wanted to blink, to block it out for just a few seconds, but she couldn't move. Albus was gazing down at her with an expression that fairly blinded her, there was such happiness shining out of it, and though she was unaware of it, there was a soft, happy smile on her own lips. His lips had caused that smile. His kiss had told her what she had never dared to believe and perhaps in some part of her, still refused to accept because it was so unlike them both to do this. The eyes that were watching them were shocked, and many mouths were hanging open but Minerva was insensible to it all except him.

_A Moment like this.  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.  
Some people search forever for that one special kiss.  
I can't believe its happening to me.  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this_. 

It had been a very ordinary evening, this Christmas Ball. To begin with, she had found it intensely boring. Then Albus had sidled up to her and asked for her hand, for a dance. That one dance had turned into two, and then three and so it had happened they had not danced with anyone else all night. However, she was sure this was to be the last one of this night, for them anyway. Their steps had collided. He had been slowly drawing her closer all evening, his hand sliding further around her waist and his body growing slowly closer to hers. She hadn't minded. She'd even welcomed it, she realised now.

They had been going through a very graceful twirl, he had spun her out and gently guided her back in again when she had looked up and instantaneously, the world had stopped turning. His eyes were laden with the feelings she had always longed to see, and he had seen the same in hers. She could not decide who it was that had first leant toward the other, the moment had completely swept them away, and their lips had meshed together no matter whose fault it was. Lights and colours had exploded underneath her eyelids, and fizzes of magic and electricity had run along her arms to the tips of her fingers and all the way down her legs to the ends of her toes.

She knew what it meant, of course. This was Minerva McGonagall after all. Although some part of her was still very much in denial, she knew what it meant. She had never had that kind of reaction to anyone before, not even in her long life. His lips were feeding a fire that spread through her chest and up into her own head, leaving tendrils of flame smoking in the region of her heart. Love. That's what it meant. True and unconditional love. She had waited a lifetime, more than some people's lifetime, to feel this. She had always desired in that tiny part of her heart to feel like this. To feel desired, wanted, _loved!_

_Everything changes, but beauty remains.  
Something so tender I can't explain.  
Well I may be dreaming but until I awake._

_Can we make the dream last forever?  
And I'll cherish all the love we share for a moment like this_. 

It would change everything, she realised that. Her mind could not yet take in the scope of damage their actions had caused and would cause. It had already changed a great deal of things. That kiss, in front of so many people, had shattered her image and reputation, but it had shattered the wall around her as well, and that was what scared her. He had not intended to frighten her; she knew that, his hold on her showed as much. Still his hand rested on her hip, his fingers melding to her form tenderly, as if they had stepped into one of her dreams. But this was real. Not a flight into fantasy. This moment was oh-so-very real.

"You're beautiful." He breathed as they drew away from each other, still gazing at her with that wonderful light in his eyes, and though she tried to stop it, the rose of colour in her cheeks would not be suppressed. Perhaps it was the realisation she could not control this reaction to him, and others like it, that lead to the subtle change passing over her features and she smiled more widely up at him, her eyes fluttering closed for a few seconds, but when they opened, she saw Albus take in a breath and she knew why. She had dismissed the doubt from them, the fear that was unnecessary and there was no doubt, they were shining almost as brightly as his now.

She was incredibly happy. That was the most important thing in the world to him at that moment. The man she had loved for too many years to count, loved her, really loved her, as well! There was nothing more in the world that could have surprised her or pleased her more, and that was all she should care about. Reputation and masks be damned! His subtle quirk of his lips told her he knew what she was thinking and she laughed a little at his obvious amusement and curiosity, glad that some things did not change. She was now completely oblivious to anything other than the man pressed so close to her.

_Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.  
Some people search forever for that one special kiss.  
I can't believe its happening to me.  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.  
_

"We've been fools Albus. How did we not see this before?" Minerva whispered, a joyous trill singing through her words in a delightful dance of a melody, undermining her own reprimand. He tipped his head to the side and pressed a kiss to her forehead, his hand once more sliding around her back and drawing her to him, his arms enfolding her in a cocoon of wonderful ecstasy. After soothing away one small worry from her brow with a butterfly kiss (what wonders his lips could achieve!), he once more tipped his head to one side, so he could see her face, which rested on his chest.

"We are all fools in love." He declared happily. "Besides, even the wisest people are considered uneducated in matters of emotions and human feeling." His voice sounded as if it was humming through him, passing across a voice of song and Minerva pressed an ear to his heart to listen, wondering how he made it sound like that. His hand came up and pulled her chin away however, and she shot a quick glimpse into his eyes before he swooped down once more to encase her lips in his own. The touch she was unused to still did much to surprise her, it seemed the feeling she received from him each time increased.

That feeling of once more flying past stars on silver wings consumed her, and for a moment, her face was blissful as she smiled under his lips, her hands smoothing over his and everything spinning around just a little too fast. It was an incredible feeling, being on the edge of control, and Minerva could feel herself beginning to like it. It just showed how a few seconds could change somebody. But had she really changed? Or had this always been within her, just waiting to be released? Once he had thoroughly tasted her lips again, he eased backwards and she rested her forehead against his shoulder, murmuring with a low tone reminisce of her cat form,

"Can this be happening to me?"

_The speed of waiting love of all,  
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall.  
So let me tell you this.  
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this...  
_

"Indeed it can, my love." He murmured back in that half-sung tone that still mesmerised her, as he slowly drew away and smiled joyfully into her eyes. Her smile once again rose around her lips, pulling the corners upwards as the corners of her eyes creased and the gleam contained within her seemed to shine from beneath her skin. His eyes strayed along one of the shafts of light and encountered the faces around them. It was then they finally became aware of the audience surrounding them, many of whose mouths were still hanging about two inches open. Despite this, Minerva could not work up the fervour to be embarrassed.

She dared not think what her students would say about this, what rumours and what stories would be riddling the papers and the Ministry within perhaps a few hours if she knew some of the gossips in this place, but even that thought could not create more than a very mild feeling of vague concern within the back of her mind, for Albus was breathing on the back of her back and knowing he was with her, knowing how he felt for her, made everything else dwindle into a very insignificant blur. So very unlike her usual mind-set. No doubt that would not last forever, but it was a very pleasant feeling for now.

Her friends dotted around the wash of faces were catching her eye. Some winked, some cooed and some mimed things that Minerva would rather not think about, but even that could not diminish her happiness and she knew that was not their intention. She turned around in Albus' embrace and looked out properly over the sea of humanity the Hall contained. There were many looks on those faces, some knowing, some happy, some looked downright awkward, but still, Minerva could not bring herself to worry over it. They could say what they liked, and think what they liked, and write what they liked, for Albus Dumbledore loved her.

_Some people search a lifetime for a moment like this.  
Some people search forever for that one special kiss.  
I can't believe it's happening to me.  
Some people wait a lifetime… for a moment like this._


End file.
